Prevalence, Management Patterns, and Outcomes of Orthopedic Patients in a Disaster-Prone Area: A Retrospective Study at Datu Beru Hospital

Abstract

Background: Orthopedic conditions represent an important component of hospital-based surgical and emergency care, particularly in disaster-prone regions where trauma burden may be influenced by geographical, environmental, transportation, and referral-related factors. Datu Beru Hospital, located in Takengon, Central Aceh, serves as an important healthcare facility for orthopedic patients in a region with challenging terrain and potential disaster vulnerability. However, local data regarding the prevalence, management patterns, and outcomes of orthopedic patients in this setting remain limited.
Objective: This study aimed to describe the prevalence, clinical characteristics, management patterns, and outcomes of orthopedic patients treated at Datu Beru Hospital, Takengon, Central Aceh, from 2023 to 2025.
Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study using secondary data from orthopedic patients treated at Datu Beru Hospital between 2023 and 2025. A total of 766 orthopedic cases were included. Variables analyzed included year of presentation, sex, anatomical region, long-bone involvement, injury etiology, open or closed injury status, and referral status. Management patterns were described based on injury classification and referral distribution. Patient outcome was evaluated using referral status as the available outcome indicator. Data were analyzed descriptively and presented as frequencies and percentages.
Results: A total of 766 orthopedic cases were identified during the study period. The highest number of cases occurred in 2024, with 339 cases (44.3%), followed by 2025 with 277 cases (36.2%) and 2023 with 150 cases (19.6%). Most patients were male, accounting for 482 cases (62.9%). The most frequently affected anatomical region was the hand, with 206 cases (26.9%), followed by the leg with 119 cases (15.5%) and the foot with 89 cases (11.6%). Among cases with documented long-bone involvement, tibia-fibula was the most common site, with 116 cases (31.6%). Road traffic accident was the leading etiology, accounting for 394 cases (57.4% of valid cases). Closed injuries were more frequent than open injuries, representing 314 cases (76.0% of valid cases). Overall, 190 patients (24.8%) were referred, while 576 patients (75.2%) were managed without referral. The highest referral proportions were observed in spine injuries (90.9%), wrist injuries (85.7%), and hip injuries (67.9%). These data are based on the uploaded manuscript and baseline dataset.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that orthopedic cases at Datu Beru Hospital, Takengon, Central Aceh, were predominantly male and most frequently recorded in 2024. Hand injuries were the most common anatomical presentation, while road traffic accidents were the leading etiology. Most patients were managed without referral, suggesting that Datu Beru Hospital was able to handle the majority of orthopedic cases at the local hospital level. However, the high referral proportions among spine, wrist, and hip injuries indicate that these cases may require advanced evaluation, specialist intervention, or definitive orthopedic management. These findings provide important baseline data for strengthening orthopedic trauma services, optimizing referral pathways, and improving disaster-responsive hospital preparedness in Central Aceh.